10 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 
An  American,  accustomed  to  our  conspicuous  corner  stores, 
with  their  large  bulk  windows,  and  inviting  displays  of  stock, 
would  be  not  a  little  surprised  to  visit  such  an  establishment  as 
that  of  Allen  &  Hanburys,  Plough  Court,  Lombard  Street. 
Entering  by  a  narrow  covered  passage-way,  into  a  court-yard, 
on  which  are  the  fronts  of  several  old  buildings,  built  soon  after 
the  great  fire  of  London,  which  occurred  in  1666,  in  one  of 
which  houses,  it  is  said,  Alexander  Pope  was  born,  he  will  find 
himself  in  front  of  the  dispensing  shop. 
This  is  furnished  with  two  counters,  one  on  either  side,  the 
longest  devoted  exclusively  to  compounding  prescriptions,  and 
the  other  to  the  sale  of  legitimate  medicines  by  retail ;  back,  is 
a  small  counting-room,  and  the  extensive  laboratories,  store  rooms, 
and  stairways  to  the  basement  and  upper  stories  also  communi- 
cate with  the  main  shop. 
The  prescription  counter  is  designed  for  five  or  six  to  be  en- 
gaged in  compounding  at  one  time.  To  each  is  appropriated  a 
certain  space,  and  a  separate  set  of  implements,  including  scales, 
which  are  held  by  the  hand  in  weighing,  and  kept  in  a  box  when 
not  in  use  ;  and  also  a  small  gas  burner  for  use  with  sealing 
wax,  in  sealing  up  packages  and  vials.  The  graduated  measures, 
perhaps  twelve  in  number,  were  arranged  together  near  a  hy- 
drant at  the  end  of  the  counter,  and  with  the  other  implements 
are  washed  at  intervals  by  a  female  attendant. 
The  situation  of  this  store  is  not  in  the  midst  of  the  dwellings 
of  the  people,  but  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  London  Bridge, 
in  the  centre  of  business,  among  the  merchants  and  bankers, 
whose  influence  extends  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  earth  ;  and 
yet,  during  the  hours  of  business,  from  10  A.  M.  to  5  P.  M., 
the  dispensing  shop  is  thronged  with  customers  from  all  parts  of 
London  and  the  suburbs,  and  all  hands  are  busy  with  prescriptions, 
many  of  which  are  carried  miles  to  their  destination. 
The  arrangements  for  dispensing  poisons  are  calculated  to  se- 
cure the  public  against  accident,  and  to  prevent  an  unfounded 
charge  of  carelessless  being  established  against  any  of  the  em- 
ployees. All  the  principal  poisons  used  in  compounding  pre- 
scriptions, are  kept  in  a  separate  closet  adjoining  the  store,  under 
lock  and  key.  From  this  they  are  to  be  taken  with  the  cogni- 
zance, in  each  instance,  of  another  of  the  employees,  who  com- 
